Cathie Craigie MSP visited Quarriers' Kilsyth Housing Support Service in Kilsyth on 12 August to meet with staff and residents.
Cathie Craigie visited both the office base for the service, to meet Phil Robinson, Quarriers chief executive and Shirine Carrigan, the project manager, and then visited Janet Walsh in her own flat.
"Quarriers provide a valuable service to enable people, like Janet, to stay in the community where they have lived all their lives, whilst receiving the support they need on a day to day basis. I know that Quarriers provides a whole range of support, tailored to the needs of individuals and I am delighted to have had a first hand opportunity to meet a local resident who is benefiting from this service."
Kilsyth Housing Support Service provides living and accommodation support to 12 adults, aged 19-80 years, all with learning and physical disabilities, in the Kilsyth and Cumbernauld area. The project, which is funded by North Lanarkshire council and managed by Quarriers, employs 50 care and support staff and has been up and running for 7 years. The service aims to assist people who are unable to live without support, to live as independently as possible with help from Quarriers care workers.
Shirine Carrigan, project manager, said: "It's great that Cathie Craigie visited Janet in her own home, it was a great opportunity for her to see how the service has progressed since we launched the project. We'll show her how a supported living initiative really works and illustrate how we care for individuals who were discharged from long stay care homes as a result of changes in the community care laws.
Quarriers provides support and care for adults and children with a physical or learning disability, for children and families facing poverty, family breakdown, exclusion and disadvantage and for young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or who are homeless. Quarriers also offers support to carers of all ages who need respite, advice or just a friend to listen, it also has the only residential epilepsy assessment centre in Scotland.
Quarriers has grown considerably since it was founded by William Quarrier during the 1870s, expanding to meet the needs of children, adults and families all over Scotland - and beyond. Staff numbers are now in excess of 1500 and the charity has an expected turnover of £35 million for 2005.
ENDS
This information and further details are available from Jane Smith at The Business:
T: 0131 718 6022
M: 07780 666 136
E: janes@thebusinesspr.co.uk
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